Category: Devotional

Sunday

“That you may love the Lord your God,

listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

For the Lord is your life,

and he will give you many years in the land

he swore to give to your fathers,

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

~Deuteronomy 30:20 NIV~

Today is Sunday, the Lord’s Day!  Don’t make plans to leave Him out of the day.

Thought for the Day:  Can’t just sit around

You may have heard the story of Larry Waters of Los Angeles. Larry’s boyhood dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. When he was finally discharged, he had to satisfy himself with watching jets fly over his backyard.

One day, Larry, had a bright idea. He decided to fly. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, when fully inflated, would measure more than four feet across.

Back home, Larry securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground.

Satisfied it would work, Larry packed several sandwiches and loaded his pellet gun — figuring he could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend — and went back to the floating lawn chair.

He tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry’s plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down.

Things didn’t quite work out that way. When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn chair to his jeep, he didn’t float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn’t level off at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 11,000 feet.

At that height he couldn’t risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours.

Then he really got in trouble. He found himself drifting into the primary approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport. A United pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 11,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate. LAX is right on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to flow. It carried Larry out to sea with the helicopter in hot pursuit. Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with Larry. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades would push Larry away whenever they neared.

Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Larry snagged the line and was hauled back to shore. The difficult maneuver was flawlessly executed by the helicopter crew. As soon as Larry was hauled to earth, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace. As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked why he had done it. Larry stopped, turned and replied nonchalantly, “A man can’t just sit around.”

While there are certainly more productive (and less dangerous) things that a man can do with his time, Larry was right. God doesn’t want us to just sit around doing nothing. Far too often, we are content with our spiritual lives because “I haven’t done this” and “I haven’t done that.” Of course, the truth of the matter is, we haven’t done much of anything. God is not content just to know what sins we stayed away from. He wants to know what positive things we have done as well.

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'” (Matthew 25:44-45)

“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:17)

A man can’t just sit around — go do something! (but stay away from the balloons!)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Have a great Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Saturday

“We love because he first loved us.”

~1 John 4:19 NIV~

Knetexas_charging_bullEmail
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10
Mike Benson, Editor

TWO MEN WERE walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull… 

Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence.  The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it.  Terrified, the one shouted to the other, “Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!”  John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life.”  “But you must!” implored his companion.  “The bull is catching up to us.”  “All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ’O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful…’” 

If there is one sin that most prevalent today, it is the sin of ingratitude.  God does so much for us.  Our indebtedness to him is enormous and yet we rarely or at least infrequently offer thanks for what he has done.  In fact, many Christians fail offer thanks over their meals much less offer thanks over all that God does in their lives.  We are much like the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?”  The little boy thought and handed the orange back and said, “Peel it.” 

For a child of God thankfulness is not confined to a day or a season, it is an attitude that we should have everyday and every hour.  Michael Belcher 

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on hisface at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”  Luke 17:11-19

 

I’m guilty of not expressing my thanks to God enough.  What about you?

Anna Lee

Friday

“Always be full of joy in the Lord.

I say it again—rejoice!”

~Philippians 4:4 NLT~

Please pray for Joanie Scarle’s brother, Bud.  He will have surgery for two aneurysums Debember 1st.  Your prayers will be appreciated.

Kneweep2Email
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10
Mike Benson, Editor

JOB TORE HIS robe and shaved his head… 

These were expressions of deep sorry in his ancient culture.  Reeling under the impact of these great losses, Job was too crushed in heart to put up any false front of cheerful courage.  He wept openly with boundless grief. 

Emotionally, he was allowing the natural grief process to occur.  Some people think that to be spiritual, they cannot cry or let anyone else see their crushed heart.  Some believe it is unspiritual to let their broken spirit to show. 

Not so.  It is unhealthy not to allow the grief process to occur.  If all that emotion remains pent up on the inside, we become like a teakettle on a stove — ready to explode!  It is emotionally healthy and therapeutic for our souls to cry.  Didn’t Jesus weep over the death of Lazarus? 

One author writes to this very point:  “I am disappointed that someone, somewhere, many years ago, introduced the ridiculous idea that if you know the Lord, you don’t grieve.  That even if you lose something or someone significant, you shouldn’t weep.  With my whole heart, I disagree!  Granted, we don’t grieve “as those who have no hope.”  But, no tears?  No grief?  I find that unthinkable.  Since when does becoming a Christian make a person less than human. . . .or more than human?”  Steven J. Lawson, “The Invisible War,” When All Hell Breaks Loose, 41 

 “Jesus wept.”  John 11:35

I hope you have had and still have some family around during this holiday season.

Anna Lee

Thanksgiving

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.  

1 Chronicles 16:8 –

                    THE PROBLEM WITH THANKSGIVING

You know the story of that very first Thanksgiving Day in the English colonies, right? You know, the one where Captain John Woodlief and those 38 colonists who had just had arrived in the Virginia colonies from Berkeley, England and set aside a day of giving thanks to God at the Berekley Hundred (later renamed Berkley Plantation) on December 4, 1619 where Woodlief proclaimed–

“Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Oh, you haven’t heard that story? That because those Johnny-come-lately Pilgrims from Massachusetts arrived at Plymouth Rock with a publicist, so that now everyone just “knows’ that the first Thanksgiving was in Massachusetts with the Pilgrims after the whole colony almost froze to death following that first bitter winter in 1622. But the very FIRST Thanksgiving Day was in Virginia. OK, so actually the first Thanksgiving in the New World was one led by Spanish explorer Juan de Onate held one near El Paso, Texas in 1598, but that one doesn’t count because it was in Texas! They probably had chili and burritos and guacamole or something (actually, that sounds pretty good).

At any rate, the idea of a Thanksgiving Day was not held as a “perpetual” celebration in either Massachusetts or Virginia.  Thanksgiving Day was never more than a local and sporadic event until until Abraham Lincoln made it an annual national holiday observance in 1863. Which means that “first” thanksgiving in Massachusetts took place after a bitter winter almost destroyed a whole colony and the first national Thanksgiving Day was observed DURING the tragedy of the Civil War that almost destroyed our nation. We still observe Thanksgiving Day, but it has little to do with struggle and more to do with eating ourselves silly and then complaining about how stuffed we feel!

But that’s not the real problem with Thanksgiving. The real problem is that we set aside this one day to reflect on and give thanks for our blessings (in which we overindulge) and then ONE DAY later…  we rush out for  “Black Friday,” the biggest shopping day of the year.  We forget all about Thanksgiving Day in our rush to run out and get more stuff. The idea of Thanksgiving was born from struggle and the awareness of God’s goodness despite our difficulty and hardship. Now we seem to believe that we deserve all the good things we have, and we can’t even have of day of reflection on Thanksgiving without turning it into an excuse to shop until we drop getting more, more, more. Will Rogers drew this contrast between Thanksgiving Day then and now:

“In the days of our founders, people were willing to give thanks for mighty little, for mighty little was all that they expected. But now neither government nor nature can give enough but what we think is too little. In the fall of the year, if the founders could gather in a few pumpkins, some potatoes, and some corn for the winter, they were in a thanking mood. But if we can’t gather in a new car, a new radio…and some government relief, why we feel that the world is against us.”

It’s ironic that the more and more we have for which to be thankful, the harder and harder it is seems to get to be truly thankful. As the late Andy Rooney would say, “Why is that?”

–Charles Tucker, Jr.

Have a great day! ( and a great Thanksgiving!)

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Count your blessings all day long today!

Blesses, very blessed!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You

in a time when You may be found.”

~Psalm 32:6a~

During this Thanksgiving season, be sure to count some of the many blessings in your life this year.  I have a long list.  Do you?

Pray for those who are traveling during this holiday.  Be extra careful because everyone else surely is not.  Take your time and arrive safely!

Jadon’s Story

http://jadonsisstory.blogspot.com/2011/11/detroit-results.html?spref=fb

Tripp Roth

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/2011/11/lot-of-catching-up-to-do.html?spref=fb

Say some special prayer for these two young boys and their families.

Thought for the Day: A shower of blessings

The following letters supposedly were taken from an actual incident between a London hotel and one of its guests. In truth, this was composed by comedian Shelly Berman. It is rather long, but it is very funny and if you haven’t seen it before, you’ll love it.

Dear Maid,

Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom since I have brought my own bath-sized Dial. Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.

Thank you,
S. Berman

Dear Room 635,

I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off. I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested. The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind. This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management is to leave 3 soaps daily. I hope this is satisfactory.

Kathy, Relief Maid

Dear Maid – I hope you are my regular maid,

Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening I found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet. I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Dial so I won’t need those 6 little Camays which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Please remove them.

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

My day off was last Wed. so the relief maid left 3 hotel soaps which we are instructed by the management. I took the 6 soaps which were in your way on the shelf and put them in the soap dish where your Dial was. I put the Dial in the medicine cabinet for your convenience. I didn’t remove the 3 complimentary soaps which are always placed inside the medicine cabinet for all new check-ins and which you did not object to when you checked in last Monday. Please let me know if I can of further assistance.

Your regular maid,
Dotty

Dear Mr. Berman,

The assistant manager, Mr. Kensedder, informed me this morning that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room. I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints please contact me so I can give it my personal attention. Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you.

Elaine Carmen
Housekeeper

Dear Miss Carmen,

It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 7:45 AM and don’t get back before 5:30 or 6PM. That’s the reason I called Mr. Kensedder last night. You were already off duty. I only asked Mr. Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap. The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check-in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the bath-room shelf. In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap. Why are you doing this to me?

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you,

Elaine Carmen,
Housekeeper

Dear Mr. Kensedder,

My bath-size Dial is missing. Every bar of soap was taken from my room including my own bath-size Dial. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets.

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room. The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

Martin L. Kensedder
Assistant Manager

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Who….left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don’t want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one…..bar of bath-size Dial. Do you realize I have 54 bars of soap in here? All I want is my bath-size Dial. Please give me back my bath-size Dial.

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

You complained of too much soap in your room so I had them removed. Then you complained to Mr. Kensedder that all your soap was missing so I personally returned them. The 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily. I don’t know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don’t know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Dial. I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory which I left in your room.

Elaine Carmen
Housekeeper

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Just a short note to bring you up-to-date on my latest soap inventory.
As of today I possess:

– On the shelf under medicine cabinet – 18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.
– On the Kleenex dispenser – 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3.
– On the bedroom dresser – 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet.
– 1 stack of 4 hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4.
– Inside the medicine cabinet – 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.
– In the shower soap dish – 6 Camay, very moist.
– On the northeast corner of tub – 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used.
– On the northwest corner of tub – 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3.

Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip. May I suggest that my bedroom window sill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries. One more item, I have purchased another bar of bath-sized Dial which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.

S. Berman

It dawned on me that God is like those maids! Every day he sends us blessing after blessing. Whether we ask for them or not, whether we deserve them or not (“he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good”), whether we acknowledge them or not, we are absolutely flooded with blessings from a good and gracious God.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things.” (Psalm 103:1-5a).

To the God who keeps on giving and giving be all praise and honor and glory!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, NC

Have a wonderful day counting and counting your blessings!

Anna Lee

Sunday

“Walk in the way of love,

just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us

as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

~Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)~

 

Jadon’s Story

No time to update Jadons blog but please pray for him. We leave tomorrow for Detroit. He has a MRI Monday and then we will meet with the neurosurgeon.

Heart to Heart with Holley: Just as you are

Hello Friend!

The other day my husband and I wandered out to a nearby fruit and vegetable stand. Rows of pumpkins, gourds and other fall goodies lined the front. Families gathered around to touch, thump and observe each one.

Eventually a child would declare, “I want this one!” When a parent would squint their eyes and inquire, “Why that one?” the child would enthusiastically point and declare something like, “I like this bump! It looks like a camel!” 

The parents would shrug their shoulders and then that gangly, unsightly gourd would be scooped up and carried home with love.

Chosen with its imperfections. 

I can’t help thinking it’s much the same with us. Jesus looks at us and says, “I want that one!”

That’s right!  Bump, humps, lumps, and all, He loves us and choses us!

Anna Lee

Saturday

“Blessed be the Lord,

because He has heard the voice of my supplications!”

~Psalm 28:6~

Renee Deck is much better than she was earlier in the week.  She will be hospitalized a couple more days to allow her to regain some strength.  She’s in room 520 now.

Jason Dean is improving at home.  He’s had a lot of pain, but progressing well.  Please continue to pray for him and his family.

Greg Tanner’s mother passed away.  I’ll post an obituary when one is available.

Baptist Press: New IMB missionaries see beyond excuses

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36604

Heart to Heart with Holley:When you’ve had one of those weeks….

It’s been one of those weeks.

You know the kind that tempt you to pull the covers back over your head?

I’m recovering from recent travel, a cold, an unexpected medical issue.

It’s the everyday things that throw us off the most sometimes.

They make us forget who we are, who we belong to, where we’re going.

Maybe that sometimes happens to you too?

If so, I want to lean in close in the middle of all those little things and whisper some BIG truth to us…

Yes, you are loved. More than you know. More than you see. Deeper than you’ve dared to dream. {Ephesians 3:16-19}

Yes, you are really part of a good plan and you belong to a God who will make sure it happens. {Jeremiah 29:11}.

Yes, you are going to make it through this not just somehow but victoriously. {Philippians 4:13}

When life gets hard the lies get loud.

But in the middle of all the noise, there is still what’s true.

Especially when it been one of those weeks.

–Holley Gerth

 {p.s. I actually wrote this last week and I’m feeling better but we still all need those reminders, don’t we?}

Pray for all those who will be traveling this week. Pray for family gatherings to be a time of love and making new memories.  Say a special prayer for those who will be celebrating alone.  If possible, take them in to celebrate with your family.

Thankful!

Anna Lee

Friday

“And let us not grow weary while doing good,

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

~Galatians 6:9, NKJV~

Pray for James and Susan Rimes as they travel to Baton Rouge again today so Susan can hopefully get some relief from her kidney stones.

Renee Deck is better and in a regular room at Southwest.  Thank the Lord she is better.

Chloe Neyland is doing well at home.  Her family is so thankful to have her home again.

Baptist Press: Amid famine, life-and-death decisions grip Africa aid workers

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36589

Thought for the Day: I will do the same thing

Here is a “bonus” Thought For the Day. It’s not a humorous story, but one
which made a strong impact on me. It came to me through a paper entitled
“Pulpit Helps.”

The story is told of a man in Massachusetts many years ago who found his
neighbor’s horse in the middle of his field. He was so angry about it that
he took the horse to the public pound.

Meeting the owner soon after this, he told him what he had done and added,
“If I catch him there again, I will do the same thing.”

The neighbor replied, “Well, the other night I looked out of my window and
saw your cattle in my field. I took your cattle and drove them over to
your house, and put them in the barn, and fixed the gate. If I catch them
there again, I will do the same thing.”

The man was reportedly so struck with his neighbor’s soft reply that he at
once took the horse out of the pound and paid the charges himself.

Perhaps the most difficult commands given to us by Jesus and his apostles
involve our attitude toward those who are our enemies. It is hard to
restrain ourselves when we have been mistreated or when a hateful attitude
has been shown toward us. The natural response is to repay evil for evil.
But we will only be able to make an impact on the world around us if, by
following the example of Jesus Christ, we are willing to repay good for
evil.

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.  Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21).

Have a great weekend!

Alan Smith
Boone church of Christ
Boone, NC

Enjoy the little cold snap as a gift from God.

Anna Lee

Thursday

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.”

~Psalm 27:7~

Chloe Neyland is home!  She no longer has two holes in her heart!  She still has a pacemaker, but it has been turned down because her own heart is doing the work.  Thank-you, Lord Jesus, for sparing this little life one more time.

Renee Deck is still in ICU at Southwest at McComb with an infection.  She is getting better.  Pray for her recovery to be complete.  Thank-you for Renee’s strong faith and the way she “puts feet to her beliefs”!

Carol New’s doctors have been working to get rid of an infection in her knee.  Then, she will have another knee replacement and spend about six weeks at the Specialty hospital in Hammond.  For now, she is still at Baton Rouge General.

Jewel Kay Y. Cutrer’s knee surgery was extensive.  Pray for her as she heals and goes through the rehabilitation period.

Pray for Mrs. Mickey Cade and Mrs, Mary Womack as they continue with tests/biopsies and await results.

Susan Rimes takes “one step forward and two steps back” with her kidney stones.  Pray for her as she sees the doctor again tomorrow.

Tripp Roth

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/

Bridget Venable’s mother-in-law has been very sick for a while.  Her funeral will be today.

Doris Yarborough Venable

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:31. A beautiful mother, grandmother, aunt and friend died Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, at her daughter’s home in Zachary. She was born in Greensburg on March 12, 1931, to H.O. and Gussie Williams Yarborough. She married Vernon Venable, her “Dearie Pie,” on March 27, 1948. He preceded her in death in 1995. She was also predeceased by her parents; brothers, Aubrey and Junior Yarborough; and a sister, Hilda Hanks. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Stan and Cheryl Venable, Rod and Bridget Venable, Kathy and David Thibodeaux, and Paula and Cliff Wheat. Her grandchildren were the lights of her life; each was her favorite. She was “Granny” to Brad Venable, Jaimie Venable, Leah V. Stewart, Shelly V. Dehner, Matt Thibodeaux, Megan Thibodeaux, Chad Zylks, Whitney Zylks and Crystal Wheat. Her great-grandchildren are Houston, Harrison and Hollyn Stewart, Trafton, Colton and Madeleine Dehner, Kiersten, Rylee, Hayden and Cayde Zylks; and expected great-grandchild due to arrive in June 2012. She is also survived by her sister, Alyne Campbell; brother, J.E. Yarborough; and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. until funeral service at noon. Burial will follow in Greenoaks Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Brad Venable, Chad Zylks, Matt Thibodeaux, Scott Campbell, David Campbell and Jim Aronstein. The family thanks LifeSource Hospice for the kind, compassionate care given during her final days.


Cosma Birch Currier Hodges
(December 27, 1919 – November 16, 2011) 

A resident of Amite, she died at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at Tangi Pines Nursing Center in Amite. She was born December 27, 1919 in Memphis, TN and was 91 years of age. She retired from the Louisiana State University Accounting Department. She is survived by 2 daughters, Madeleine C. McElveen and her husband, Ray, Amite and Louise C. Peterson and her husband, Melvin, Amite; a son, Neil Currier, Amite; 5 grandchildren, Michael, Donald and Kevin McElveen, Monta Graves and Gerrid Hodges; 11 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; 3 sisters, Marcelle Cuti, Amite, Ruby Wohlken, Baton Rouge and Margaret Estess, Kentwood. Preceded in death by her husband, Woodrow W. Hodges, Sr.; son, Woodrow W. Hodges, Jr.; grandson, Clyde Blades; parents, Leon Birch and Jessie Alford Young; sister, Thelma Merle Humphry; 2 brothers, Clovis Birch and Herbert Birch. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 9 a.m. until religious services at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 18, 2011. Services conducted by Bro. John Fulda. Interment Killian Chapel Cemetery, Amite.

Operation Christmas Child

Thanks to all of you in various churches of various denominations who contributed “Shoeboxes” for children around the world.  I look forward to the Christmas season and thinking of all the children who will be blessed because of the shoeboxes.

If you missed that opportunity or if you are ready for another one, Christmas Toys for Migrant Children and Christmas Cards for Parish Inmates will be collected at First Baptist Church, Kentwood and other churches.  They will be combined at FBC, Amite at the end of the month and distributed.  Here’s an opportunity for you.  Be sure to include a stamp for each card.

There will be a Community Thanksgiving Service at the Kentwood United Methodist Church Sunday, November 20th at 6:30.  A time of fellowship will follow the service.  Everyone is invited.

Ladies and girls, mark your calendar for the first Saturday in December.  Greensburg Baptist Church will host the annual Lottie Moon Tea at 2:00 P.M.  Come learn more about this pioneer missionary who served in China.

Thought for the Day: More than we ask or imagine

A 60-year-old couple was celebrating their 40th year of marriage. During
the celebration, a genie appeared and said, “Because you have been such a
loving couple all those years, I would like to give you each one wish.”

The wife quickly chimed in, “I want to travel around the world.” The genie
waved his arms and, POOF!, she had the tickets in her hand.

Next, it was the husband’s turn. He paused for a moment, then said shyly,
“Well, I’d like to have a wife 30 years younger than me.” The genie waved
his arms and, POOF!, he was 90.

We seem to be fascinated by stories of magic genies granting wishes (why is
it usually three wishes?). Which of us hasn’t sat and wondered at some
point in time, “If a genie granted me three wishes, what would I wish for?”

God is not, as some imagine Him, a magic genie waiting at our beck and call
to give us everything we ask for (see James 4:3). But there is certainly
that level of power and ability at His disposal. Listen to these words of
Paul:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV).

God is able to do more than I ask of Him. That’s pretty amazing,
considering that I have some pretty difficult requests. Furthermore (and
this is really mind-boggling), God is able to do more than I can even
imagine! I don’t know about you, but I can imagine quite a bit. Yet, Paul
assures us that God is not only able to do all that we ask or imagine — he
is able to do more, immeasurably more!

When things in life are beyond my control, I find comfort in knowing that
God has such power — not the power of an imaginary genie but the power of
a living awesome Father. Sometimes we offer to pray for others saying,
“It’s the least I can do.” How wrong we are. Considering the power of
God, it’s the most we can do!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone church of Christ
Boone, NC

Don’t forget the Third Thursday meeting tonight at the cabin at 6:30.  Join us for food, sweet fellowship, a thoughtful devotional, and sincere prayer times.

Anna Lee